The present invention relates to an abrasion-resistant steel and its production method.
Steels are known which have a high level of abrasion resistance and whose hardness is approximately 600 Brinell. These steels contain from 0.4% to 0.6% of carbon and from 0.5% to 3% of at least one alloy element, such as manganese, nickel, chromium and molybdenum and they are quenched in order to have a completely martensitic structure. However, these steels are very difficult to weld and cut. In order to overcome these disadvantages, it has been proposed, in particular in EP 0 739 993, that a less hard steel be used for the same purposes, the carbon content of which is approximately 0.27% and which has a quenched structure containing a large quantity of residual austenite. However, these steels are still difficult to cut or weld.